Pilates demand is giving operators a reason to expand. It was the most-booked workout in the 2025 ClassPass Look Back Report, based on the platform’s reservations from January 1 to October 10. For a studio with busy reformer classes, another room or location can look like the obvious next step.
But growth creates its own problems. Studios that could once survive on personality and word-of-mouth are finding out the hard way that scaling is a different game entirely.
When the Instructor Is the Product
Most Pilates studios are built around a handful of exceptional instructors. Members book classes specifically to train with Sarah, or Marcus, or whoever delivers that particular magic. That’s a real competitive advantage. At least, until Sarah calls in sick, or Marcus moves interstate, or you open a second location and realize you can’t clone your best people.
That’s the pressure behind a full timetable: the experience members pay for may depend on a handful of people. Adding more slots exposes that dependence.
A reformer Pilates class needs a clear purpose, suitable progressions, and enough time for setup and transitions. Instructors should be able to adapt the plan to the room without losing its intent. The warmup matters. The transitions matter. The cool-down is part of the workout, not an afterthought. When that structure varies class to class, members feel it even if they can’t name it.
What Boutique Members Are Paying For
The price gap between boutique Pilates and a big-box gym isn’t a mystery. Members who pay a boutique class price are buying more than equipment access. They’re buying a curated, choreographed experience. They expect it to be the same caliber whether they come on Tuesday morning or Sunday evening, whether their usual instructor is teaching or a sub fills in.
That is a reasonable expectation to build the service around. Ask members where the experience differs across the roster, especially when a substitute teaches, and compare those answers with what you observe.
The Tech Gap in Pilates
The fitness tech industry has invested heavily in booking systems and member apps. Those are table stakes now. But the actual delivery of the class on the floor has been largely left to paper notes, printed cards, and instructor memory.
That’s changing. Studios are beginning to treat workout delivery as an operational system, not a creative improvisation. Displaying structured class progressions on studio screens, keeping timing consistent, giving subs the same framework that the regular instructor uses. At six classes a day across two locations, a usable shared plan saves every substitute from assembling the session from scratch. A clear printed plan may do the job; a screen is useful when it makes the information easier to follow without taking attention away from participants.
Before adding capacity, check whether you can repeat the experience with the staff and cover you actually have.
The Sub Problem
Ask any studio manager what keeps them up at night and substitutes will come up within the first two minutes. It’s not just about finding someone qualified. It’s about ensuring that the member who shows up for their Tuesday noon class gets the same experience they always get, regardless of who’s teaching.
When instructors have to reverse-engineer what the regular teacher does from memory or scattered notes, the class drifts. When they have a structured framework displayed in front of them, including the flow, the timing, and the cues, they can deliver something consistent without having to improvise from scratch.
Give the substitute a handover they can use:
- The class level, purpose, and planned flow
- Equipment setup and checks relevant to the session
- Progressions and alternatives for common sticking points
- Timing and transition notes
- A contact for questions before the class
Budget preparation and handover time into the shift. The framework supports a qualified instructor’s judgment; it doesn’t replace it.
The Studios That Will Win
A full room can hide a weak operating system. Expansion is where the gaps become expensive. The studios that build loyalty in this expansion phase will be the ones that:
- Treat class delivery as a repeatable system, not a one-off performance
- Give instructors the tools to stay on track without memorizing everything
- Give substitutes enough preparation to deliver the same standard, with their own teaching style
- Choose floor tools that help instructors teach, whether that is a shared plan, printed notes, or a screen
The booking system can fill a slot. The instructor still has to deliver it. Build the handover, cover, and class standards before adding the next room, so growth gives members more of the experience they came for.
Related reading: The Workout Isn’t the Product. The Instruction Is. | The Hidden Cost of Verbal-Only Instruction | How to Evaluate Your Coaches | Your Class Is Only as Good as Your Warmup
